Pattern

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty Five

// Avery //

It was evening, and school was over, and they'd rung my dad to tell him that I was gone. And when I got home, he'd shouted at me, and I shouted right back. He'd asked me what had gotten into me, and I hadn't replied.

I hadn't talked to him in a while, not properly. I'd spent a lot of time at Prudence's house, or just in my room. We were used to this, of course, but it made the detachment more obvious. A few times, I'd thought about leaving. But I had no money, and nowhere to go, and no ambition, no goals to fulfill.

Now, I think I had some sort of goal, as impossible as it may be. My goal was to find Prudence, to bring her back alive. And have everything go back to the way it had been, because I'd been happier than I had been in years, even with the fights and murders. Having friends slowly made the world look a little kinder. But if I lost her, I'd lose myself.

Madison called me, most likely with reluctance. "No word from Officer Knightley, but they're considering anything at the moment," She said. "But, quite honestly, none of us know where she is. But he's kept each girl a day longer each time, so, we might have more time than we think."

She was right, but it didn't fill me with hope. "But, you know what happened to all of them. She can't go through that, she just can't."

"You said earlier today she was strong," The girl pointed out. "But, okay, I get you. None of us want to think about what's happening to her right now. She wants to live, Avery, she won't give up easily."

She hung up, then, leaving me alone to try falling asleep.

I didn't.

--

I got around an hour of sleep, and woke up at seven. The events of yesterday flooded back. I closed my eyes, pulling the duvet over me, wishing I could just forget. Something drove me to eventually get up, and I got dressed and put my hair up at the back of my head, then wandered downstairs. My dad was awake before me, which was rare, and he watched me as I grabbed an apple and went to the door.

"You forgot your schoolbag," He muttered.

"I'm not going to school," I replied honestly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Has that got anything to do with the disappearance of Knightley's daughter?" My father used to know him pretty well, not that they were ever friends. 

I shrugged, murmured a "Maybe", and left. 

I didn't want to tell him it had everything to do with Knightley's daughter.

Robert Knightley, sitting by reception eating a roll and looking like he hadn't slept, looked up in some kind of hope when I walked in, but it dropped when he saw my face. "I love how my presence makes everything better," I said, walking over to him.

He looked at me blankly. "Sorry, I was secretly hoping you were my kidnapped daughter who had somehow escaped." He sighed. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

"So should Prudence." The man flinched at her name. Then he looked at me. "Do you know what Prudence means?"

I shook my head. "Should I..?"

"No," He admitted. "We didn't, but she was two, my wife decided to find out, and discovered that it meant 'to be sensible.' She said she hoped our daughter would be cautious and sensible."

I grinned. "Sorry, but she's the complete opposite."

"I know," He agreed. "I'd always hoped she'd go down some road that involved some nice little job, because she was always smart, but she never wanted to be anything but a police officer, like me. Even though I told her not to." He looked at me. "Do you think it's because she was looking into the case, that's why he took her?"